Failure to Conduct Thorough Investigation of Abuse Allegation
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to conduct a thorough investigation into an allegation of sexual abuse involving two residents. According to the facility's policy, investigations should include signed statements from all pertinent parties and interviews with individuals who may have relevant information. However, the investigative file for the incident did not contain statements or interviews from one of the involved residents, who was cognitively intact, or from a third resident who shared the room and had moderate cognitive impairment. The omission of these interviews was confirmed by the Administrator, who acknowledged that the investigation was incomplete. The incident in question involved one resident being found unclothed at the end of another resident's bed. The cognitively intact resident recalled the event and reported it using the call light, while the third resident, who had moderate cognitive impairment, was not interviewed to determine if she witnessed the incident. The Administrator confirmed that the investigation was conducted by the Administrative Assistant in her absence and that it did not meet the facility's policy requirements for a thorough investigation.